A New Orleans police officer lost his job for violating the department’s rules regarding police pursuits in January, according to nola.com. The officer, Justin Ferris, chased a stolen car, which struck another vehicle. An 18-year-old girl in the car not involved in the chase died of severe head injuries suffered in the collision.
Ferris was with the police department for four years at the time of the chase. He saw the car’s occupants dump foils of heroin from the vehicle. But, while pursing the suspects’ vehicle, he ran several stop signs and chased the car at high speeds down a one-way street in the wrong direction.
According to investigators, Ferris said he stopped chasing the suspects once he realized he was driving the wrong direction down a one-way street. However, the video from his patrol car shows he did not stop pursuing the car when he said he did. Ferris also told investigators that he told the dispatcher that he was no longer chasing the suspects. The tapes revealed that he was lying.
The victim was a recent high school graduate, and it is unfortunate that a negligent and careless driver ended her life.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans injury attorneys